Investigating the Perception of Loudness, Sensitivity and Annoyance of Low-Frequency Noise in Relation to Personality Traits

Background and purpose: Low frequency noise (LFN), even at low levels, can have an adverse effect on individual's mental health and performance. However, personality trait is one of the most important influencing factors. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the perception of loudness, sensitivity, and annoyance of LFN in relation to personality traits. Materials and methods: This semi-experimental research was conducted on 40 students of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences in 2022. The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire‐Revised (EPQ‐R) was used to assess personality traits. Participants were exposed to LFN at Equivalent continuous sound level (Leq=65 dB in A-weighted) for one hour in an acoustic room. Then questionnaires of noise annoyance, Weinstein noise sensitivity, and loudness perception were used, respectively. Finally, statistical analysis was performed using SPSS V25 and applying Chi-square, independent t-test, and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). Results: The mean value of annoyance, sensitivity, and noise perception were 5±2.05, 65.2±14.88, and 3.55±0.68, respectively. The results of the study indicated that extroverted and introverted personality traits did not have a significant correlation with annoyance, sensitivity, or perception of loudness (P>0.05) while the results of the MANOVA test showed that neuroticism was the most influential factor on sensitivity (P